Kitanna
Chapter 247: HOOK, LINE AND BAIT

Chapter 247: HOOK, LINE AND BAIT

[MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: WALKING THROUGH THE DARKNESS ~ ZIOR PARK

Axilla tightened her grip on her gown, her heart beating faster than usual, all traces of sleep now gone from her eyes. She was the one who had told Lady Jenna she could save herself; now the woman was asking Axilla for help.

The young girl tapped her feet nervously on the carriage floor. When it finally stopped, she threw a small pouch containing coins to the coachman without checking the amount and ran to the mansion, where servants had just begun their morning chores.

"Lady Jenna, Lady Jenna, I’m here!" Axilla shouted, trying to keep her breathing steady as she was almost wheezing. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, making her senses heightened and alert.

The mansion’s servants were startled by the sudden visitor. One of them ran back inside to inform the lady of the house.

Jenna stepped out, still wearing her nightwear with a shawl draped over her shoulders for warmth. Her eyes still bore traces of sleep as she rubbed them tiredly, staggering towards the door.

Axilla caught sight of Lady Jenna walking tiredly, and she assumed the worst. Rushing to her side, she held the woman’s shoulder. "How are you? Did he hit you? Let’s go and report him to the village magistrate this instant," she insisted firmly.

Lady Jenna rubbed her eyes, looking at Axilla with confusion. "What are you talking about, Axilla? Why are you here so early? Did something happen at the merchant inn?" the woman asked with a tired yawn, her body still feeling sluggish from sleep.

Axilla shook her head. "This is not the time to delay. Let’s go before he comes back. Your letter says it’s now or never; we should save you from that monster," the girl urged.

Jenna furrowed her brows. "Letter? I didn’t send you any letter. Are you sure you’re not mistaken?" the woman asked, now fully awake.

Axilla ruffled her gown to retrieve the letter, only to realize she had lost it in her haste. It was then she sensed that something was amiss; she bit her lip. First, the letter carrier said it was from Morado; now Lady Jenna denied ever sending out any letter. Was this some kind of trap?

"Are you okay? Come, sit down. It seems like you’re really startled; look, you’re sweating this early in the morning," Jenna suggested, directing Axilla towards the balcony while ordering her servants to prepare tea.

Axilla finally settled down, her hands trembling as she clutched them between her legs. Why would someone raise such a false alarm? What was the motive? She couldn’t think of a good reason for it or anyone who could be behind it. The girl inhaled deeply, her mind racing yet finding no answers.

Lady Jenna noticed how disoriented Axilla was and touched her shoulder gently. "Don’t worry, everything will be fine. Relax, okay? Maybe you had a bad dream."

Axilla twitched her lips. It was not a bad dream; she had clearly seen a man who handed her a letter. It couldn’t be a dream, could it? The girl asked herself silently.

Just outside the Oleka mansion, Venantius hummed an unknown tune happily, moving his fingers mindlessly through the air. Then he turned to his aide. "My daughter-in-law is such a loyal friend; she came faster than I expected. Get the carriage ready; we have to leave soon," the man ordered.

Dominique bowed and stepped out to carry out the order.

Soon, the two men started moving their belongings towards their carriage, which was waiting for them.

Lady Jenna’s eyes moved outside just in time to see the travelers she had accommodated loading their bags to leave. She sighed.

"Finally, they are leaving, but it’s a day early," the woman muttered, shrugging her shoulders.

Axilla, still catching her breath and gathering her thoughts, looked toward where Lady Jenna’s eyes were focused, then looked away. But something caught Axilla’s eye; the type of hair the men carried. It was very familiar. She stood up from the chair and walked to the balcony, holding onto the railing tightly.

As if noticing Axilla’s gaze, Venantius turned his head and gave her a grin.

Axilla stepped back and fell onto her bottom, her hands trembling. It was the same man, and now she understood why he looked so familiar. He had a striking resemblance to Cortez. It couldn’t be. The girl shook her head. Cortez had only told her about his family ties last night; his father wouldn’t suddenly appear in front of her. And why her, of all people?

Lady Jenna got up from her chair, holding Axilla’s shoulder worriedly. The girl was acting strange. "Are you okay?" the woman asked.

Axilla raised her finger to point at the men. "W-who are they?" she asked with a shaky voice.

Lady Jenna followed the trail of Axilla’s finger and her mouth formed an O. "They are travelers I helped a few days ago, but I guess they’re already leaving. They said they would leave in three days, which is tomorrow; maybe they had a change of mind. They look scary, right? I was also scared the first time I saw them, but they haven’t caused any trouble since then," the woman sighed.

Axilla got up on her feet, straightening her gown. She said, "I have to go. I’m sorry for startling you, Lady Jenna. I need to leave this instant."

Lady Jenna furrowed her brow but nodded. "Okay, let me see you off." The two women walked towards the entrance, but they were stopped by Venantius, who was enjoying everything, his grin broadening.

"Greetings, Lady Jenna. I didn’t know you had a visitor. I was coming to tell you that we are leaving. Thank you for your warm welcome while we were in your house," the man bowed slightly, giving Axilla a knowing look.

Axilla took a step back, looking elsewhere while holding her gown tightly.

Jenna nodded her head. "You’re welcome. I wish you safe travels." The woman turned to Axilla. "I’ll get my carriage ready for you."

Venantius sucked his teeth. "Have we met before?" His question was directed to Axilla. "You look very familiar."

Axilla shook her head. "This is my first time seeing you. Thank you, Lady Jenna. I’ll be going now. You should spend some time with your visitors." The girl hurriedly left the mansion, her heart thudding with every step.

Venantius nodded to Dominique, who left the house first, as if going to check the horses.

"Your friend looks very wise," Venantius said to Jenna with a smile. Bringing out a small pouch from his purse tied to his waist, he gave Lady Jenna the pouch.

"A little thank you for everything," he said, leaving the mansion.

Lady Jenna looked at the pouch and dropped it on the chair. "It wasn’t necessary," she muttered under her breath. A yawn escaped her lips, and she walked back inside to sleep.

Outside the mansion, Axilla walked briskly, trying to reach the road to scream for help. But the mansion was located very far from where people lived. She turned to see someone following her behind. Axilla instinctively started running, but she didn’t go far when someone grabbed her neck and covered her mouth with a white cloth, making her pass out.